


Not What It Seems

by hopesbarnes



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Secrets, Social Media, Unrequited Love, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:21:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23901514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopesbarnes/pseuds/hopesbarnes
Summary: (Social Media AU) Y/N L/N, Peter Parker and Harry Osborn are thick as thieves. Best friends till the end. They just don’t tell each other everything. Peter doesn’t know Y/N is in love with him, and Y/N doesn’t know he’s spiderman. College is hard enough without all the secrets and lies. But everything has to come to light at some point? Doesn’t it?
Relationships: Peter Parker/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Twitter Profiles

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my tumblr! (@rogvewitch)


	2. Chapter 1




	3. Chapter 2




	4. Chapter 3




	5. Chapter 4




	6. Chapter 5




	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has text!

In keeping your promise to Harry you’re in your apartment with MJ and Liz getting ready. Your room looks as if a hurricane came through, makeup scattered in front of the mirrors, a curling iron and straightener plugged in on your desk, and outfits everywhere. MJ elected you all get ready in your room, instead of hers and with a scowl you agreed.

It wasn’t every weekend you went to a party, school and other engagements took precedent. Being a thief took energy, and flexibility didn’t come without hours in yoga and the gym. So the three of you decided to go all out. You all had your eye on someone and this was the time to make a move.

“You’re sure he likes me,” Liz asks for the thousandth time.

“Yes! Now throw that lip gloss over here!” You yell at her. “I also know that Brad will be there,” you hum.

“Whatever,” MJ says but you know that she’s excited.

You finish your makeup and head to your closet pulling out a sheer top.

“Is this too much? Or is this enough to make my best friend realize he should be dating me,” you say holding it up.

“IF YOU WOULD ASK HIM OUT YOUR-” MJ starts but you cut her off.

“You,” you say pointing at her. “Don’t get an opinion in this.”

“It is not too much, girls can wear whatever they want this is 2020. And it will make him drool no doubt,” Liz says and you smile.

“She’s officially my favorite person.” you say and MJ rolls her eyes.

By the time the three of you arrive at the party it’s already in full form. You grab Liz’s hand and she grabs MJ’s to navigate without losing each other. You took an uber to the party to avoid forcing one of you to be the DD. MJ sees some of her poly sci friends and Brad and splits from you and Liz. You guys chat about classes and her job before spotting Peter and Harry.

“Hey Y/N. Hi Liz!” Harry says and hugs the two of you.

“Hey boys. Peter I think I left something over in the living room, come with me?” you ask trying to give Liz and Harry some space.

“We weren’t in the,” Liz starts and you give her a look and she feigns an aha moment. “Oh yeah! I’ll talk to you later babe,” she says and you tug Peter away to the patio outside.

“Needed to give them some time alone,” you explain and he nods.

“You- uh- look really good tonight Y/N,” he says stuttering.

“Yeah? You ask bashfully.

“Yeah.” he agrees.


	8. Chapter 7




	9. Chapter 8




	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains text as well!

“You are really sucking at this game,” Peter says laughing.

“What 20 year old has Guess Who anyway,” you say and flip-down more characters. 

“Completely mature and grown-up ones. Duh,” he says and smiles cheekily. 

“Your smile’s really cute,” you say and put your face down to hide how much you’re freaking out. You didn’t mean to say that comment aloud.

“Peter- I,” you say at the same time he says “Y/N, you-” and the two of you nervously giggle and he shakes his head. 

“You first,” he says and you nod. 

“I really like you, Pete,” you admit shyly.

“Thank fucking god,” he says and your head snaps up. “I really like you too.” And for a moment it feels like there aren’t any barriers between you. It doesn’t feel like you’re Black Cat, the vigilante thief who kills people. It just feels like you’re a girl. A girl in love with her best friend. 

His eyes drift to your lips and you slowly lean in closer to him. You’ve been dreaming of kissing Peter Parker for far too long, and it finally is going to come true. Until he freezes and looks shaken.

“I- uh. I have to go,” he says suddenly and grabs his jacket before taking off. From his apartment. You have no idea what happened. Maybe this was all too much for him…

You use a grappling hook to swing near where the Avenger’s tower is. It’s late and the only thing illuminating the city is neon lights. The A on the tower shines bright, a symbol of hope for all people. All people who don’t see the greedy nature of Tony Stark, or annoying need to be good that Spiderman exudes. The need that jailed your ex-boyfriend instead of giving him the slow excruciating death he deserves. You take in a breath and release your retractable claws. There’s a fight to win.

You land on the building next to the tower and watch the scene unfold in the distance. Spiderman and Goblin are at fighting at the top of the building and it doesn’t look good. Harry’s throwing punches, but Spiderman dodges every one or swings out of their reach. Their skills are matched and Harry needs a tipping point to win. A tipping point that has your name written on it. You switch your comm to the channel Harry told you to use and perch yourself on the side of the building you’re on. 

“Goblin, where’s the file,” you shout knowing that the file on the flashdrive is what matters most.

“By the glass door!” he yells back between grunts. You back up and take off running towards the tower using your claws to grip the railing of the launchpad beneath where they’re fighting. You know Spiderman can sense you now and will see you any minute now. 

You attach the grappling hook again, this time to the structure above you and front flip right into the spider’s eyesight.

“Black Cat! Nice to meet you. I don’t like cats very much!” he says and still manages to grab Harry’s fist mid punch. This time though it knocks Harry off balance and sends him falling to the ground. It allows Spiderman to run over to where you are, and you lose the time advantage to grab the file still laying by the doors at least twenty feet away. You try to twist and leap off the story you’re on and land back on the landing pad, but he thwips a web at your leg and pulls you back down to the ground. He goes to pull the web towards him, but you use your claw to cut the substance from you. It gives you enough time to turn his trick against him and yank the web sending him towards you and on top of you.

“Hi, there spider,” you say sweetly and reach a hand up and caress his masked face. 

“Huh?” he says at your motion, and you weave your leg over his allowing you to flip your body over his and cage him in. It works like a charm and stuns him enough to get you to stand.

“Cat, I got the drive, we need to get out of here,” Harry says over the comms and you do a back walkover to the edge of the building.

“You were fun to play with Spidey, but I gotta go!” you coo and dive backward off the building landing in a crouched position on the landing pad. Harry uses his glider to reach you and shows you the drive in his hand. 

“We’re in business again,” he says and you can tell beneath his mask he’s grinning. He reaches a leg up to board his glider again, but instead is paralyzed and you see electricity move through his body. It causes him to collapse to the ground again. 

You spot the thread connected to his suit and follow it to see it reach Spiderman’s hands. He’s dangling from the upper layer with one arm and using the other to send a taser web to the Goblins’ suit. It had to have caused his suit to reboot and leave him temporarily vulnerable. He releases the taser web and sends a new web to grab the drive that has fallen from Harry’s gloved hand to the ground next to him. He isn’t quick enough though and you jump to grab the drive and get pulled back to where Spiderman hangs. 

“Someone’s eager for another round,” you say before getting ready to steal the drive back. It gets tossed to the other side of the building. You have to get Spiderman off the roof before you can get it.

“Just can’t let this in the hands of a cat burglar. No hard feelings though,” he chuckles.

The two of you are mere feet apart and circle each other like predators intimidating their prey.

“You do know cats kill spiders for fun, right?” you say and run towards him, sliding beneath his legs at the last minute getting him off balance. He swings a web your way but you duck it and double back towards him.

You get close enough and manage to kick his stomach. He recoils in pain but doesn’t drop. 

“You’re pretty resilient. But baby, so am I,” you scoff and walk towards him. He throws a punch that you dodge. It allows you to get behind him and claw his back with your talons. 

“Fuck! That stung!” he yells. Finally, Harry flies back up and tosses one of him bombs towards Spiderman. It goes off with a loud bang and a fire starts. The two of you worked in the Oscorp labs to lace Harry’s bombs with a neuroinhibitor that temporarily disables Spiderman’s spidey senses. 

Harry flies to where the drive is, but Spiderman follows behind and throws a web to grab hold of Goblin. But instead, it attaches to his mask and knocks it loose. With a yank of the web, the mask comes off. You’re sure it wasn’t Spiderman’s intention to unmask Harry, but it’s been done. And it’s abundantly clear that the heir to Oscorp, the headliner of many gossip columns, and son of Norman Osborn has been wreaking havoc on the city.

“Shit,” you mutter under your breath. There’s no coming back from this. Harry is done for. 

“Harry Osborn?” Spiderman says and Harry freezes for a second upon hearing his name. But he swiftly gets his footing back and grabs another bomb from his glider. Before he can throw it towards the spider, his wrist is kicked and the bomb gets thrown towards you. 

“Y/N look out!” Harry yells out instinctively. His eyes go wide once he realizes his mistake and all he can do is blink. You duck the bomb effortlessly, letting it hit a corner of the building and the area goes up in flames. 

“Y/N?” The masked spider says. There’s hurt laced in his voice and you don’t know why. All you know is your days of being a masked vigilante are gone. You relied on being in the shadows, and unknown force that took justice into her own claws. But all that is over now.

Spiderman pulls at his mask, and you’re left face to face with the boy you’ve been in love with for as long as you can remember. Peter Parker. Your Peter Parker. The same guy you were just playing a game with mere hours ago. The guy who trips on his laces and sends you goofy chemistry puns. He’s been a superhero this entire time. Not just a superhero, the one you have been helping Harry takedown. 

“Pete?” you say and drop your mask too, there’s no point in trying to keep anonymity now. 

“You’re spiderman?” You ask rhetorically. You can’t wrap your mind around the fact he’s the spider. God, he’s Harrys best friend too. They’re roommates for christ’s sake. How did everything get so twisted?

“Oh god. What have we done,” you say and collapse to the ground. A tear leaves your eye. All you wanted was to help those who didn’t get justice. And serve that justice to those who escaped it. Maybe steal a few things from those who didn’t need them, but you never meant to let it get this far. 

“I’m so sorry. I can’t fight you. I’m in love with you!” you admit aloud and Peter kneels beside you. He wraps his arms tightly and you hold him tight. But Harry comes to shatter the reunion.

“You fucking killed my father!” He says venomously. Peter stands up to try and reason with him, but he doesn’t stop and impales Peter on a sharp-tipped boomerang. The blade goes straight through Peter’s chest and he collapses to the ground.

“You stabbed him!” you cry out. Harry reaches unceremoniously for the drive that fell from Peter’s hand and goes to take off. As if he didn’t just stab his best friend. 

“Y/N! We need to go!” he says without any discernable emotion, but you can’t move. You can’t leave your Peter here to bleed out. 

“I’m not going with you, Harry. This has all gotten out of hand!” you say and Harry takes off. Leaving you and a bleeding Peter parker. Both unmasked, and in a situation, you shouldn’t be in.


	11. Chapter 10

“I have this like healing thing. So like I’m not gonna die. Just an FYI,” Peter says from his point laid out on your legs.

“Huh?” you ask. 

“I’ll probably be completely healed in two or so days. I mean don’t get me wrong, this really hurts, but I’ve been stabbed before and I’ll be completely fine. I also hit an emergency beacon on the suit. Help will be on the way,” he says smiling up at you. He wipes a tear that’s fallen from your face and sits up to face you.

“I do like you holding me though,” he says cheekily. You reach out and grab his face and meet your lips to his. Before the mess that just occurred, the two of you admitted your feelings. And this kiss is long overdue. 

He tastes like iron, and your lips are chapped but it’s magical. It feels like a perfect fit, he feels like a perfect fit. Your perfect half. (Even if he did wear spandex and have the powers of a spider)

“I’m done with this. I don’t want us on opposite sides,” you say and he smiles and nods before pulling you in for another kiss.

You arrive at the Avenger’s compound. A field with multiple buildings and training areas. Tony leads the two of you to a medbay and has nurses look over your cuts and his stab. They start to patch you up while Tony starts. 

“So why a cat?” he says waiting no time, and not sugar-coating any bit.

“Cat burglar. I mean the pun wrote itself,” you say and he chuckles.

“How’d you get here Y/N? You’re a gym trainer?” Peter asks on a more serious note.

“I should probably start from the beginning huh?” you ask rhetorically and they both nod. 

“My dad was a thief first off. He stole from people who deserved it. And I swore I was better than him. But then life got in the way and I realized I was no better than him. So I started wronging his way.” you say and look down ashamed. Tony nods.

“I gotta have a massive headache-inducing meeting on what to do with this mess, but you guys should get patched up then sleep in your room, Pete. We’ll talk in the afternoon,” Tony says and leaves the medbay. 

After stitches and bandages, the two of you head to what you presume is Peter’s room. You change into a pair of his sweatpants and a t-shirt of his and sit facing him on the bed. 

“You don’t have to tell me the in-betweens of your story. I don’t need to know what you don’t want me to,” he says and you smile softly at that.

“You need to know,” you say and he nods letting you continue. “When I was a senior in high school I had this older boyfriend. He was cute and paid attention to me when no one else did. He took me to a party at his college and spiked my drink. I uh- well don’t remember much else but I woke up alone without my underwear. Easy to piece together there. He then dumped me.” you say and Peter pulls you close. 

“I’m so sorry Y/N, I god. You are so strong,” he says and you let your tears fall for once.

“I headed to the police to report it. But before I got there he was hit by a car and died instantly. And I was happy. Peter, I liked it that he died. He got what he deserved. So I started stealing from rich or guilty people and killing those who deserved it. Revenge got me through the years. But I don’t want to let it consume me anymore. I just want to help people, without being the bad guy myself.” you admit. 

“We can figure everything out later,” Peter says and holds your head lovingly in his hand.

“You said you love me,” he says, smirking and you look down half laughing half ashamed.

“I did. I do. It wasn’t just spur of the moment either. I love you Peter Benjamin Parker.” you say holding his stare.

“Oh god me too. I mean, I love you. Also. Too. I’m really bad at this,” he says smiling wide.

“It’s okay. Me too,” you say laughing and suddenly all tension is gone. It’s just you and the boy you love.

“So we’re like together. You’re my girlfriend?” he asks.

“Yup! No getting rid of me now,” you say and practically pounce on him. He falls against the bed with you on top and you meet his lips for a kiss. It’s way better than the first kiss you shared with him. There’s no blood or dirt or boomerangs inside him. The sweetness of it dies after only a few seconds and you’re left with just passion. Your lips move against his and your mouths fuse together. His hands wander and hold every part of you. It’s all too much and not enough. He reaches under your (his) shirt and you pull back long enough to nod. He throws the shirt far from you and lets you sit up. 

“I have one hot girlfriend,” he says smiling cockily. You grind your hips against him and he groans, all cockiness leaving immediately. You lean forwards again and kiss him hard. He was your boyfriend after all…


	12. Chapter 10




	13. Epilogue




End file.
